No other Malaysian PM had it in him to give as good as he gets as shown in this interview.

He may have his faults but to date, he remains as an icon in our Malaysian history.

Riz Khan handled himself quite professionally in the talk show and should be congratulated unlike the BBC's Hardtalk Stephen Sakhur who often rudely interrupted Tun while he was responding to the latter's questions.

Let's watch what Najib Tun Razak had to say then when it was his turn to speak to Riz Khan :

From what we can clearly see, Najib spoke articulately but he had to do a lot of damage control after the mess Abdullah Badawi had allowed to take place after Tun Mahathir left office.

Najib has been trying his best to cater to most Malaysians but he seems to have a major problem by way of his spouse's actions who has become quite a liability to his image as the country's 6th Premier ! and woul d probably also be an issue which the Opposition would definitely use to run the BN down?

We all have to take notes from history and Najib would do well to chart his course with such lessons from the past or risk losing the mantle of power to those who would waste no time in selling us out!

It is gonna be a litmus test soon for Najib as the Opposition are preparing to stage another major protest come July the 9th this year. How will he handle it?

'We should not forget that our tradition is one of protest and revolt,

In politics, what is important is perception, not reality and this is exploited by the Opposition. Even the truth is always denied as they know that politics is all about perception and not about reality and truth. It is for us to show we are better, more effective and better understand the rakyat's aspirations so that the sentiments are more towards us. - Prime Minister Najib Razak

Najib is right in stating that politics is about the perception of the people and not reality but he was wrong in saying the Opposition is exploiting this notion. Najib should commend the Opposition for being able to turn perceptions into realities and for having the smarts to play the political game.

If the Opposition is seen to be better able to master the art of perception in politics, given their miserly resources, it may be because BN and Najib are idiots at it.

The Opposition is merly reacting to the reality of the Malaysian political landscape, crafted and grafted by the Barisan Nasional government over the past 5 decades. Reality is lost under the insinuations and lies and half-truths that the BN has told and kept hidden from the public view.

It is BN which has replaced reality with a virtual, dreamscape and a surreal idea of Malaysia as seen by them. BN has fed, via government controlled main-stream media, the idea that all things BN is good, while at the same time they rob the nation of its wealth by milking public coffers to feed the businesses of their families and friends.

Najibs reality is one riddled with sex-tapes, sodomy trials, long protracted police investigations, MACC celebrity hauls, C4 murders and expensive handbags - to name a few! . This i s the reality Malaysians have lived with, in growing intensity, since 1998.

Governing on borrowed time

And as the 13th General Election looms near, Najib as shown in his statement above has clearly stated the condition of the BN mind. The rakyats mind has woken up from the BN dream-induced state and acknowledged the reality of Malaysia as it is today. But can the same be said about Najib and UMNO.

A nation broken under the administration of the BN government, that sadly is Malaysia now. The rakyat wants change and this means BN may finally be booted out under Najibs watch.

The writing is on the wall and Najib knows this. The 13th General Election is not merely a stage for BN to remain in power but for Najib should also be of great personal significance. It is the stage for him to get his much needed public mandate to govern Malaysia.

Najib was never voted in as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He took over from a retiring Abdullah Badawi as head of UMNO, which makes him Prime Minister by consensus among the BN component parties.

He lacks the public mandate delivered through a voting process. And this is Najibs reality and he knows this. Since taking over as Prime Minister in 2008, Najib has been governing on borrowed time.

The Federal Constitution states that the Prime Minister is one who gains the confidence of the members of Parliament. BN has lost the confidence of the rakyat which in turn means they will loose their dominance in Parliament and effectively this will determine the next Prime Minister.

Najibs reality is that he may be the only Malaysian Prime Minister never to gain a public mandate to govern.

In an article addressing Najib on his blogMalaysia Today, Petra said Muhyiddin and his advisors' focus to bring down Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim would make him "more dangerous for the opposition".

"I would rather you (Najib) remain as Prime Minister until the next general election. Then the opposition has a better chance. If Muhyiddin takes over as Prime Minister before the next election then the opposition may suffer, he added.

Petra claimed he personally knew those behind Muhyiddin and Najib, and described that Najib's "people" were not as clever as Muhyiddin's.

I personally know Muhyiddins people. They are clever. I also personally know your people. They are not. So better we deal with you than with Muhyiddin.

"Tell me, Najib, what is the best your people can do? So far they only know how to shout B***. Thats all, B*** -- Brother Anwar Bin Ibrahim. You think just by shouting B*** the opposition is going to fall? asked Petra in his trademark style.

Petra (left) explained that the reason why he would not push for Najib's ouster was because Najib was "surrounded by stupid people".

Dear Najib, if you want to survive then you had better sack all your so-called advisers.

"Find better people or else you are finished. Remember, you said it: its all about perception, he wrote, referring to Najibs recent statement urging UMNO's machinery to improve the perception of the people about Barisan Nasional.!

Palanivel is accused of using Samy Vellus approach to dealing with dissent. file pic

ANALYSIS, June 13 Having tried a softer approach to leading MIC, Datuk G. Palanivel has now taken a page from his authoritarian predecessors handbook by sacking a vociferous critic who found fault with his new, inclusive methods.

Bagan MIC division chairman Datuk Henry Benedict Asirvatham was given the boot on Friday, believed to be over his open opposition to the MIC presidents decision to readmit V. Mugilan, G. Kumar Aamaan and KP Samy.

He was sacked from the MIC by Tan Sri KS Nijhar, the disciplinary committee chairman, after an inquiry last week. He now has a fortnight to appeal his sacking.

The three men Asirvatham opposes were major detractors of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellus, and had been shown the door after insisting that the then MIC president expedite his retirement plans.

Asirvatham felt their readmission was unconstitutional and that the proper way was to readmit them only after two years. He also maintains they should have not been reinstated to their previous ranks.

Asirvathams dismissal is also expected to trigger a mass exit by the members from his division.

Another dissenter, Youth wing secretary S. Sivarajah, has been similarly critical of the readmissions, and has now drawn the attention of the disciplinary committee.

Sivarajah has also gone one step further, lodging a complaint with the Registrar of Societies over the matter.

A text message is now being circulated within the party on the issue, and questions the constitutionality of the manner in which the three were taken back and restored to their former positions as central working committee (CWC) members.

The text also accuses of Palanivel of attempting to fill the ranks of the CWC with the formerly expelled so as to bolster his own support there.

It goes on to describe ! a ploy b y the MIC president of making a show of wanting unity on one hand while silencing dissent with the other.

Aside from the party intrigues, Asirvathams expulsion may further frustrate Barisan Nasional and MICs plans of winning back the Bagan Dalam state seat in Penang.

Bagan Dalam has 17,194 registered voters, with Chinese voters making up 52.6 per cent, Malays 24.3 per cent and Indians 22.3 per cent.

MIC contested both the Bagan Dalam and Prai state seats in Election 2008 but with anticipated exodus of the MIC division members in the former constituency, there may be no MIC man to put up there in the coming general election.

However, Palanivel may be planning to trade Bagan Dalam for another Malay-majority seat with the Indian voters or possibly place another candidate there and hopefully win on the back of returning Indian support.

Asirvatham, a supporter of deputy president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, has openly eyed the seat which was contested by Senator PK Suppiah, now the Penang MIC chief, and which was lost to DAPs A. Thanasekharan in 2008.

Its going to be a sure defeat for MIC and BN in Bagan Dalam if the party leadership upholds the termination, a CWC member said.

The sacking of Asirvatham is an unwanted problem now. Why cant division chairman speak out if they feel aggrieved, he said. Is sacking the only way?

Asirvatham had also claimed that Palanivel was plotting to politically kill the party deputy president.

Looking Back at the 57th PAS Muktamar

ANALYSIS: The victory of the progressives in Malaysias Islamic party has indeed served to inject greater dynamism into Pakatan Rakyat and strengthen PAS engagement in national politics.

The party nevertheless faces deep-seated suspicion by many non-Muslims and more secular Malays who see the election of the non-ulama team as a move to gain power than to genuinely move PAS towards the centre and towards the mantra that has guided the party for the last few years PAS for All.

The fact of the matter is that PAS will never appeal to all Malaysians as many reject religious parties and others remain apprehensive about the intolerant messages of PAS leaders in the past on issues of morality especially. Many will remain loyal to the BN and UMNO no matter what.

Yet, PAS, like all parties in Malaysia, evolves along with its ideology and strategies. What distinguishes PAS from UMNO today is that those willing to engage in reform have taken the partys helm, while in contrast the dialogue and direction from UMNO and its Perkasa allies appears to remain locked in a time warp of the racial ideas of the 70s whose time has long past.

The voices of reformers in UMNO like Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin have been noticeably silenced. As such, PAS has generated excitement, as it has taken the lead in shaping the direction of discourse among Malay-dominated parties.

Given the buzz surrounding PAS new line-up, it is important to ! delve fu rther into what are the currents shaping its direction. Where exactly is PAS evolving to? What are the new ideas that are emerging among the new leaders and PAS? Are there stumbling blocks that will limit the progressive orientation of the party? Finally, how will these ideas reshape Malaysian politics?

PAS progressive ideas have the potential to transform Malaysian politics, but they will require much more than the usual talk that has associated with new leaders, and be tied to concrete actions that engender confidence and break down the underlying suspicions about the partys ability to govern tolerantly across communities.

While many of the ideas are in the early articulation, and most lack clear policy implementation mechanisms, the 57th PAS Muktamar does point to five promising ideas that suggest that the party is indeed moving in a genuinely more progressive and inclusive direction.

It is noteworthy that PAS delegates avoided the shallow discussion of race and focused the debate on targeting UMNO and strengthening the party, showing an unprecedented discipline and coherence, despite the divisions in the party elections.

In the midst of this focus were snippets of five progressive thinking:

1. Building a Welfare State

The party elections buried the main theme of the muktamar, which was building the welfare state negara berkajikan. At the core of this concept is the idea of welfare, namely that health, education, shelter and food are basic needs.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is right in that the focus on basic needs has been shared by UMNO, at least the UMNO of the past. Yet, he misses three important differences in the PAS articulation of this idea. The first is the active voice, the berkajikan.

Instead of a top-down model in which the state gives benefits, the PAS concept involves the rakyat, giving them a place in shaping the welfare outcomes. This participatory element is quite distinctive in that it moves the policy discussion toward one of inclusion and engagement, rather than of selective recipients and stationary acceptance.

This moves the realm of policy discussion towards one in which the role and inputs of ordinary people in shaping outcomes has increased, and in the process explicitly acknowledges the important role that ordinary Malaysians play in shaping their own welfare and evoking change.

PAS leaders point to the critical role of philanthropy and volunteerism, as they articulate this more active approach to welfare, and highlight the need to empower initiatives and embrace a more active civil society and citizenry.

The move away from a policy of selectively giving handouts and benefits toward one based on engagement and greater synergy between leaders and people is tied to the second difference in this concept a broader idea of welfare.

PAS leaders are careful to distinguish this idea from the use of the term in the West where the government picks up all costs of healthcare, provides unemployment benefits and more recognising that financial limitations in Malaysia inherently limit the scope of welfare benefits.

Yet, they bring in the importance of spiritual well-being in their conception, believing strongly that welfare cannot be secured without an appreciation that welfare is not just about the material benefits of life, but should include an appreciation of psychological factors of dignity, common humanity and shared community and idealism tied to religious faith.

This non-materialistic conception implicitly criticises the focus on consum! erism an d hard development that has guided much of Malaysian development policy since the 80s and serves to bridge the discussion between a welfare state and an Islamic state. How exactly it does this is unclear, but the spiritual element and implicitly an appreciation of softer and non-tangibles elements are there.

Finally, PAS continues to point to a focus on the excluded, those left out of the current policy direction of BN, namely the non-elites.

In this articulation of the welfare state, PAS is criticising UMNO for continuing to serve only the elite, the handful of contractors who were lucky to win deals. They point to initiatives in Kelantan and Kedah at the state government levels that target the hardcore poor, single mothers and elderly, highlighting the need to expand the social safety net for the vulnerable communities. The idea as articulated is that the state needs to help those who cannot have a fair shake in helping themselves.

What stands out from this discussion is that the focus is on specific groups; it is not a race-based policy that continues to narrowly conceive poverty and development in racial terms.

While PAS leaders do acknowledge that in the states they govern with perhaps their involvement in Selangor as an exception the majority who benefit from these policies are Malays, they point out that they are governing in Malay dominant states and emphasise that the focus is on vulnerability, not the colour of the recipients skin or their religious affiliation.

PAS leaders appear to aim to illustrate that a focus on those in need better targets state resources and promotes welfare broadly; it moves the allocation of state resources from those with access and playing money politics to ordinary people in need and! not fro m the privileged classes.

2. Entrepreneurship and anti-monopolism

Party president Abdul Hadi Awangs speech and the subsequent delegate discussions also pointed to the evolution of a new economic policy, one in which the market place and competition play a greater role.

The ideas here are less formulated, but there are two core elements that emerged. Foremost is the focus on removing the monopolies in the supply-chain in the economy. This idea builds on the discussion of IPPs (independent power producers) that has been in the public realm in the last few months over questions of subsidies.

Opposition politicians from all parties are driving home the point that favouritism in the allocation of contracts to supply goods, from sugar and chicken to water and electricity, underscore the costs of basic goods and contribute to inflation. These often hidden overheads benefit the elite and transfer the burden of their wealth gains to ordinary citizens.

Many of these have been in place for decades, and the lack of transparency and competition in their allocation continues to increase overheads in the provisions of services and affordability of basic supplies.

These comparatively higher costs from monopolistic allocation places Malaysias economy at a disadvantage when compared to Thailand and Indonesia, and this disadvantage is borne by ordinary Malaysian businesses and consumers.

It is thus that Hadi Awang called for greater competition, for a fairer marketplace where monopolies of the past do not continue to haunt the present and the countrys future.

At first, it may seem strange that PAS is calling for greater market forces. Like all the opposition parties in Malaysia, there is a tension among those who advocate for a checked marketp! lace and others who call for more market drivers.

Yet, it speaks to the fact that many PAS members and supporters are involved in small businesses that they face the financial constraints from an unfair supply chain daily. It is indeed affecting their bottom line, and squeezing those who are working hard to generate a decent income in a system that is at best skewed.

More and more small and medium businesses are forced to face the reality of a more competitive market, with greater pressures from China and other international markets, and do so without a fair shake.

PAS as it has evolved to include more urban members and had to promote economic development in states without the same level of credit allocation and support such as in Kelantan are appreciating the need to make the marketplace fairer through more openness and competition.

The discussions among some PAS leaders suggest that the aim is to instill a different trajectory for entrepreneurship. Rather than have entrepreneurs be the chosen ones, those who are assisted are those that prove themselves through competition.

Across communities those engaging in small businesses are facing similar problems such as a lack of access to credit and inadequate supports in marketing, beyond the comparatively higher costs of many inputs.

Among some PAS leaders at least there suggests that there has indeed been a dialogue that points to a different trajectory in moving Malaysias economy forward, a trajectory not based on transforming the economy through the hiring of expensive consultants closely connected to the large corporations, but one that listens to the everyday struggles of navigating the basic goal of assuring enough rice in the rice bowl.

3. Efficient and fairer governance!

While the first two ideas were buried in speeches and the debate at the muktamar, the main theme highlighted was about changing the style of governance. This came most focused from the new deputy president of the party who focused his target on the election machinery.

Mohamed Sabu pointed to the need for more professionalism in the Election Commission over postal voting and the registration of new voters. He also called into question the actions of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), particularly over the Ahmad Sarbani case.

While his focus was on the immediate issues involving elections and serious questions about potential violations of professional ethics, the broader theme was there the civil service needs to be fairer across races, across religions, across communities. The focus was not on the civil service per se, but the broader political environment in which actions are seen to be politically motivated for one side in the political equation.

The zero-sum nature of politics where the civil service has been seen to work for one side or the other has hurt everyone, especially the civil servants. Political loyalty is prized over professionalism.

Gone at least in the rhetoric is the professionalism and statesmanlike quality of civil servants in the past who were concerned with governing the country for the people in the country, not the politicians. The discussions point to the difficulties in strengthening the institutions that underscore improved governance too much politicisation on the civil service and the promotions based on loyalty rather than merit.

The discussions in the muktamar floor called for better performance and called bias in performance to task. Yet PAS was unclear on how to build ownership with the civil service in promoting a more inclusive and more capable way of governing. The civil service will always play an important role in the country, and strengthening a system that rewards genuinely national service rather tha! n loyalt y is crucial.

The only other governance point that got attention reminiscent of the early days of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his promised reform agenda was to promote efficiency, to further reduce red tape and streamline decisions and the implementation of benefits. This was highlighted by leaders in PAS-led states who pointed to improved allocation of scholarships and distribution of elderly benefits.

While there remain considerable areas to improve in policy implementation, what is important to note is that PAS leaders are extremely conscious of the need to strengthen the capacity of the civil service and to work together in policy implementation, while simultaneously not ignoring the challenges of institutional reform.

At least so far, the focus remains on highlighting governance problems, given the charged political contestation between UMNO and all other parties, including some in the BN itself, and the perception portrayed by former senior civil servants in groups like Perkasa that the civil service is to serve UMNO and only Malays rather than the people at large across the political spectrum and communities.4. Pluralism

In avoiding the narrowness of the disturbing racialised discourse that has dominated political debates since March 2008 with many BN national leaders continuing to identify themselves with one community rather than the country as a whole and important concepts such as 1Malaysia being used as a campaign vehicle for one political side rather than as a integrative national framework, PAS leaders both explicitly and implicitly acknowledged one of Malaysias greatest strengths its pluralism.

For the PAS delegates, this pluralistic cord was centered around efforts at reaching out to non-Muslims. While the party still has a long way to go in its outreach efforts, the strengthening of the non-Muslim wing has deepened engagement.

It is not a coincidence that the leader who has been arguably the stronges! t advoca te for non-Muslim engagement Mujahid Yusof was re-elected to the Central Committee despite strong opposition to his call for non-ulama leadership.

The urban cosmopolitanism in contemporary PAS has had an impact, changing its institutional structure and outreach.

The discussion of pluralism extended to the Malay community. Of late, in an effort to win over the Malay community, UMNO has harped back to its emphasis on the Malay community as a unified group. Its aim appears clear, to win more Malay support to gain seats, while recognising that its efforts towards other groups have not yielded results.

At the PAS muktamar, there was clearly more appreciation of the diversity within the Malay community, across class, geography and sectors. This engagement with pluralism within the Malay community reflects the reality of Malaysia. From Sarawak and Sabah to Johor and Kelantan, to the Umnoputras and ordinary taxi drivers, diversity is the norm. Assuming that all of these groups have a shared outlook and experience does a disservice to their needs.

Where PAS however faces its most serious challenge is to appreciate the diversity in religious outlooks among Malays. Many are more secular and would prefer to stay that way. In its outreach effort to capture the middle ground it is essential to both acknowledge and respect the right of others to think differently within the Muslim faith.

In many ways, Mat Sabu, who has promoted diversity of theological views in his speeches, provides leadership in this regard. The big issue is changing the rank and file within PAS who continue to adopt a mindset that you must belong to group think to be accepted. Engagement has to come with genuine acceptance of difference. There is clearly more appreciation of pluralism in the evolving PAS, although with limits.

It is also important to note that the ethnic pluralism among the progressives coincides with a greater appreciation of the role of women within the party and Malaysia generally. The voices! of prog ressives are being articulated with the new Muslimat leadership, where the ideas of the welfare state and concerns over fairer governance have dominated the discourse of those recently elected.

5. Nationalism

The final theme that resonated among PAS new leadership is nationalism. There is clearly a harping back to the past when the party was driven by the nationalistic spirit that underscored Malaysias independence movement. This element of nation-building, of ethnic integration, of collaboration and spirit of hope is a fundamentally new message.

Media reports and many personal laments highlight the negativity and sense of disappointment among Malaysians, whether it involves religion harmony or personal attacks. No question, the discourse of negativity has not served Malaysia well.

PAS new leaders aim to instill hope and to build a stronger country, not just their own party. Ironically, many of these leaders who grew up in the Mahathir era are taking on the Mahathir nationalist mantel.

What distinguishes PAS nationalist message is its focus on strengthening the community within Malaysia. Rather than identify a foreign enemy such as Singapore PAS leaders point to forging links globally with a stronger collective at home after all, a unified Malaysia stands tall.

Beyond Vision

The ideas among PAS new leaders are indeed progressive. PAS new leadership draws its inspiration not just from Turkey where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is poised to win a third term in yesterdays national polls but from the broader transformations taking place across the Muslim world, be in neighbouring Indonesia or Egypt.

But ideas alone are sadly not enough. They need to be translated into concrete initiatives and policies. Malaysians have had many promises, and now expect their leaders not just to provide fancy powerpoints and snazzy concepts, but to walk the talk. The burden on PAS to move in a ! progress ive direction, one that is genuinely nationalist and inclusive, is heavy.

They will not be able to carry forward their vision without greater support and cooperation with their Pakatan partners. In particular, PAS needs a stronger PKR that moves toward re-engaging the electorate. Pakatan as a whole faces the challenge of offering a different vision than just the mantra of change.

PAS new leaders also continue to face an internal battle within their own party. The conservatives may have suffered a loss at in the party polls, but are fighting hard inside the party to hold onto their positions.

There are two sources of conservatism one continued to be tied to the narrow approach of the Islamic state an approach that resulted in the party suffering its worst electoral defeat since independence losing one state government and over half its seats in 2004 and the other tied to a non-pluralist vision of the country involving race, the Unity Group, reminiscent of the 70s that led to the other significant historic loss of support for the party.

Both visions tied to old guards in PAS are outdated, but they remain powerful ideas within PAS, and still permeate parts of the elected party leadership. PAS progressives thus face a difficult path ahead. They will not be able to handle it alone, and will needed broader engagement from Pakatan and civil society.

Without cooperation, these ideas will not take shape. Yet, at least for now, the Erdogans victory within PAS suggests a move towards a different direction, one that offers a different vision for the country that challenges the UMNO model of governance in fundamental ways.

DR BRIDGET WELSH is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University. She attended the 57th PAS muktamar as an observer. Welsh can be reached at bwelsh@smu.edu.sg.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 The government will not take any action against Datuk Ibrahim Ali for threatening Christians nationwide with a holy war against any move to usurp Islam with a Christian state.

Action will only be taken if investigations find that the said act really contravened the countrys laws, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said in a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (Segambut-DAP) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Lim had asked the Home Ministry to state whether it was a punishable offence for a person to declare jihad in the name of race and religion.

I would advise that all parties be careful in making an accusation when its validity has yet to be verified, said Hishammuddin(picture).

The Perkasa presidents threat to Christians was based on Utusan Malaysiasrecent allegation that church leaders were in a plot with the DAP to turn Malaysia into a Christian state and install a Christian prime minister.

Christian leaders and DAP members have denied the reports which have sparked protests but the Home Ministry has only slapped Utusan Malaysia with a warning letter for publishing the unsubstantiated report.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was forced to meet with church leaders to clear the air but Umno vice president and Home Minister Hishammuddin later said that there was some basis to the reports.

The police in Penang have completed an investigation into Utusan Malaysias claims and have handed over the case to the Attorney-Generals Chambers.

Utusan Malaysia had published a report entitled Kristian Agama Rasmi? (Christianity the official religion?) where it was alleged that DAP leaders and Christian clergymen were conspiring to take over Putrajaya! , abolis h Islam as the religion of the federation and install a Christian prime minister.

If you had provided acceptable answers to these still pending questions, then the rakyat will in fact join you in your Omega cries.

By J. D. Lovrenciear

It was reported that our PM speaking to the rakyat in Kuala Lumpur raised a concern. He was reported to have hollered that Anwar Ibrahim has to this date not answered about the Omega watch.

Question is, why does the PM reduce himself to such lowly levels of arguments? Mind you, you are no orddinary minister. You are the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister for the entire population - be they be belonging to BN or to the Opposition.

Yes, you are the party President of UMNO. But when you speak to the general population, please would you wear the hat of PM - minister who is prime, and not your UMNO cap?

Okay. If you insist that you were darn right in questioning Anwar's integrity by raising the Omega watch issue, then you cannot blame the rakyat to rebut by asking:

1. What about the Mongolian murder?2. Who authorized the use of C4?3. Why was the person who authorised the release of the C4 from the strongroom not punished?4. Who authorized the erasing of the immigration records and why was the person/s not punished?

If you had provided acceptable answers to these still pending questions, then the rakyat will in fact join you in your Omega cries.

Otherwise you have just lost all respect. You see Mr Prime Minister, you do not even have to have Roundtable discussions. Just make sure you are kept abreast of all that the rakyat are saying in the alternate media and in the warongs.

Copies of the sex video allegedly featuring PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim continue to make the rounds around the country and now two top opposition leaders are claiming its circulation to be "a desperate attempt" and dirty politics in the works. PKR vice-president Tian Chua said that in a very recent case, an unknown person created a fake email account using his name and sent out an email attesting that the person in the sex video is Anwar.

Lim Kit Siang's Speech (1) at the opening of the DAP State Assembly Reps Workshop in Sibu

I just returned from a visit to Beijing and Xian. Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province and home to the Terracotta Army, has a history of more than 3,100 years.

It was the seat of power of 13 dynasties in China, most notably Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang.

One thought struck me when visiting the historic sites in Xian that in Malaysia, the time has come for dynastic change after 54 years of Umno-hegemonised Barisan Nasional to equal-power-sharing Pakatan Rakyat in the next 13th general election.

The 416 Sarawak general election is a momentous forerunner to the forthcoming national elections as it has heightened expectations in Sarawak and Malaysia that for the first time in the nations history, change of federal power in Putrajaya is within reach.

In the 308 political tsunami of the 2008 general election, Sarawak and Sabah saved the federal power of Umno and Barisan Nasional, which is why they are described as BN deposit states.

Sarawak and Sabah will play critical roles in the 13th general election in the country, as they will decide whether UMNO and Barisan Nasional continue in power in Putrajaya or Pakatan Rakyat replaces BN as the new Malaysian government.

Pakatan Rakyat must aim to win 30 parliamentary seats in Sarawak and Sabah to effect a change of government in Putrajaya.

Can PR win about 15 parliamentary seats in Sarawak! in the 13th general election?

The 12 DAP State Assembly representatives must have this goal as their guiding objective in everyone of their statements, speeches and actions.

DAP in Sarawak must continue to reach out to all communities to help PR achieve this objective in Sarawak.

For this reason, I propose the formation of DAP Dayak Brain Trust to advise DAP Sarawak and DAP Malaysia on strategy to end Dayak marginalisation and spur Dayak awakening as integral part of Malaysian renaissance.

Members of the Dayak Brain Trust need not be confined to DAP members in fact I envisage that the overwhelming majority of the Dayak Brain Trust comprising outstanding Dayak personalities in different fields will not be DAP members.

The DAP Dayak Brain Trust should craft a strategy for Dayak political revival and regeneration so that Dayaks can play a full part in the political, economic, cultural and intellectual renaissance of Malaysia.

MCA President Chua Soi Lek has taken pains to stress that the Chinese voters must be careful in performing what he termed as the 'Chinese Balancing Act' which is maintaining MCA's voice in a strong manner in the BN coalition while at the same time also voting in a strong Opposition.

This will guarantee the Chinese community the best of both worlds, according to Chua, as doing that will enable the Chinese to have a say in government and at the same time have a watchdog to voice its displeasure should the government step out of line pertaining to Chinese issues.

But in the 12th General Election in March 2008, Chua continued to opine, the Chinese miscalculated and have overdone it by giving too much power to the DAP, thus rendering MCA ineffective in the Cabinet.

The MCA president freely admitted this and said the imbalance needed to be corrected by the Chinese in the coming 13th General Election so that MCA can regain strength in the Cabinet.

And if they didn't and the MCA continues to perform poorly in the polls, then Chua warned the MCA will itself withdraw from the Cabinet by not accepting any positions.

Blackmail doesn't jive in an era of New Politics

But few people agreed with Chua. Many have in fact accused him of trying to "blackmail" his community.

"This is all rubbish as in the era of New Politics, the Chinese need not perform any so-called 'Balancing Act' because Pakatan Rakyat is capable of looking after Chinese interests," PAS MP for Tumpat Kamaruddin Jaffar told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Whether MCA is in government or not, it makes no difference due to MCA bein! g incapa ble of making any demands, which they themselves have admitted."

MCA has had problems making headway in Chinese issues because each time they attempt to do so, they will be shouted down by UMNO leaders and told to shut up.

The latest incident was in the PSD Scholarship fiasco where Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz berated Deputy Education Minister, MCA's Wee Ka Siong, for 'trying to be a Chinese hero' when he tried to champion the request for scholarships by Chinese students.

After his initial outburst, not a further squeak was heard from Wee after Nazri's public rebuke.

This shows that it is immaterial whether MCA is represented or not in the goverment, said Kamaruddin.

Gibberish

Chua has also been plugging the line that the MCA was the one and only party responsible for championing the cause of Chinese Education by highlighting the building of Chinese schools, UTAR and KTAR (Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman).

For this, he has drawn fire from the Chinese community for speaking "gibberish".

"He needs to be reminded that providing schools is the duty of the government whereas the Chinese community paid for UTAR and KTAR and its fees are still more costly than those of public universities," MP for Gopeng Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

Gauging from the slew of brickbats, Chua has not been able to prevent the slide in the MCA. The more he talks or reveals of his aspirations for the community, the more they get upset and reject his party.

Perhaps, the time has come for Chua Soi Lek to face the truth. As far as the Malaysian Chinese are concerned, his are empty words and he has become known as a "kong sam, kong sei' president or 'talk 3, talk 4' (meaning he speaks gibberish).

'We must win the next parliamentary election so that we have the power to prosecute our friend the chief minister,' says Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian

KUCHING: The 13th parliamentary election is of critical importance for the people because it will give us the power to prosecute Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, said Sarawak PKR.

Kick-starting its preparations for the coming general election with a series of Gawai dinners, state PKR chief Baru Bian said:

We must win the next parliamentary election so that we have the power to prosecute our friend the chief minister.

That is why this coming election is of critical importance because even if we won the state election, politically and legally we cannot prosecute him.

We need that power, and that rests in all states of Malaysia. Themed berakup kitai menang (united we win), Bian said the Gawai dinners, which will be held in Bintulu, Miri, Sibu and Limbang, aside from celebrating comradeship and giving thanks for their success in the April 16 state election, was also aimed at preparing for the GE.

He said that although Pakatan Rakyat failed to win the state government, the coalition had won with the increase in collective votes for the opposition as compared to the Barisan Nasional (BN) whose popularity votes droppd from 63% to 55%.

He said that Pakatans increased support was evident among the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Chinese and Malay voters.

In our post-mortem, we found that the issues that contributed to our failure to capture the state government included the use of dirty tactics, gangsters, money politics, promises of projects and threats against the headmen and government agencies by the state BN.

These tactics are dirty and unfair, he added, po! inting o ut that they had also identified their own weaknesses.

We were too complacent with the sentiments for us on the ground and also strong issues. Because of these we forgot about our machinery, forgot to open our branches, recruit members and register voters, he said.

Lively debates

Bian said that the public had understood their struggle and realised that Pakatan is now an alternative to the BN.

But the people are not yet prepared to give their absolute confidence to the Pakatan.

All branch leaders and members not only must learn from their weaknesses, but also must continue the struggle and to strengthen their presence in every longhouse and village in order to gain the confidence of the people, he said.

On PKRs relationship with DAP, Bian said after the election the people heard the relationship between the two parties was not that good due to the shadow cabinet line-up and other issues.

Assuring members that the party is prepared to move on together with DAP, Bian likened the relationship of the two parties to a marriage where there are bound to be problems.

This is the process in Pakatan Rakyat, and I guarantee that with sincerity and transparency in our political struggle nothing is impossible.

Together with DAP, we will give the BN ministers lively debates in the state assembly sitting from June 20, 2011.

We assure you we will propose what has been stated in our manifesto, and it is up to them to accept our suggestions and ideas especially on land matters, he said.

INTERVIEW For the past 50 years, MCA has been the bedrock of the Chinese community, championing linguistic, economic and political interests. But today it finds itself at a crossroads.All signs, especially after the Sarawak state election, point that the community is now throwing its support for the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat, in particular its component party DAP, leaving MCA in its most precarious situation to date.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, MCA president Chua Soi Lek said he believes the Chinese community had long exhibited sophisticated pragmatism when it comes to voting, ensuring a healthy mix of its representatives on both sides of the Dewan Rakyat floor.

Government of Malaysia, the leadership of Dato 'Seri Najib Tun Razak asked to investigate the source of interference in a sharp price decline dramatically in the state so that farmers called' Banana 1Malaysia 'too cheap.

In the era of former Prime Minister of the fifth, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the price of bananas 'Get in' RM1.50, RM1.10 per kg while the Golden Banana.

Now the market price of the banana-type standardized at rates between 50-60 cents per kilogram.

The banana plantation business in the area is very depressed with the price of Tenom is regarded as not commensurate with the nature and cost of maintenance that they devote to their garden produce.

A banana farmer, Kasman, a certain appeal, especially for the FAMA, to advertise the weekly wholesale and retail prices of bananas to prevent them from being fooled.

"We do not know the market price and are forced to sell the prices offered by traders or middlemen.If not, we will continue to losses because most of the bananas had to be removed or left bad, "said Kasman was forced to cancel a desire to sell bananas planted, instead of downstream berjinak start making chips.

The question is, what are the difficulties of this kind need to be discussed in Parliament or the Assembly to allow the government to act?

More than 100 trawlers were docked at the Malaysia Fisheries Development Authority complex as fishermen said they could not afford to go to sea.

Kuantan Fishery Association chairman Chia Hee Juak said this was due to the sudden increase in diesel price to RM1.80 early this month.

Even at the previous price of RM1.25, we were only earning a profit of RM2,000 per trip.

With this steep increase, we can't even afford to fuel up, he said.

He added that local fishermen had to contend with Vietnamese fishermen who had licences leased to them from unscrupulous Ali Baba operators.

There are not enough fishes for us in these seas anymore and those foreign fishermen are allowed to operate in our country.

We hope the Government will take note of our frustrations.

Kuantan Trawler Fishermen Association vice-chairman Hing Hua Kow said 70 owners had decided to sell their boats for up to RM1mil each.

We hope the Government can buy our boats as there is no point continuing to fish because we lose about RM5,000 to RM6,000 each time, he said.

In Kuala Terengganu, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the ministry needed the cooperation of all parties to curb the activities of Ali Baba trawler operators who leased their licences to foreigners who fished in Malaysian waters.

I find the situation described here sad, but both the! fisherm en and the Agro Minister are completely missing the point overfishing has depleted fishing stocks. The fact that the reduction in the diesel subsidy has made it clearly unprofitable to fish basically underscores the market signal here, that fisheries in Malaysia is a dying industry. Weve already mostly lost fish stocks in coastal waters from overfishing, and the problem has now extended into deeper waters.

Setting up Vietnamese competition as the crux of the problem (and Siamese competition before that) is a straw man argument, and detracts from the unfortunate reality on the ground, and what policies should be implemented. And no, its not a resumption of the diesel subsidy.

Rather its enforcing environmentally sustainable fishing quotas across the ASEAN region, rigorously policed locally by the RMN and the Fisheries department (and that may well include enforcement of licensing requirements); as well as ensuring that Malaysian fishermen are actually competitive, which means investment into infrastructure, equipment and training to size up and take advantage of economies of scale.

Either that or give up the game and admit that our agro policy has been wrong all along, and let the industry die a natural death which is now the likeliest outcome. The focus on subsidies to sustain small scale fisheries over the past several decades rather than a holistic (and corporatised) development of a deep sea fishing industry in Malaysia, has resulted in a fishing industry that is dominated by small vessels and a high cost structure relative to fish landings.

Weve basically conceded deep sea fishing to our more enterprising neighbours, who have long made the investment into supporting a deep sea fishing industry, and were now seeing the results.

And this problem is not confined to fisheries, though the problem there is more acute than with other agro industries. Im still against the idea of supporting development of smallholders in agriculture (e.g. Felda) as this just perpetuates our pr! oblems w ith food security. The government has a choice to make here continue along present lines and risk an uncompetitive agricultural industry, or completely rethink our approach to developing agriculture and risk losing lots of votes (especially in marginal states). Thats a political and economic dilemma I dont envy.

"Mat Sabu is actually lucky to have won becausePAS is now breaking up. He is trying to prove that he is capable of representing the conservative and liberal factions in PAS but actually he is not from either side," he said.

MY REACTION:

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MCA has observed that the Chinese community's support for Barisan Nasional (BN) is getting stronger to face the coming 13th general election.

Its vice-president Chor Chee Heung said this was based on their acceptance of the 1Malaysia concept introduced by Najib Tun Razak after becoming prime minister in 2009.

Chor is confident that the percentage of Chinese voters nationwide voting for BN will rise, hence increasing the majority votes for BN in the next general election.

HOKKIEN LANG COMMENT:"Kong Song Lan Pha Song" which is also the Hokkien version of COW (club of obedient wives) motto.

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In the accident on Tuesday, Azrina Kirana Azrin sustained a thigh injury and a fractured shoulder after being knocked down by a horse while playing with her 12-year-old sister at about 10am.

Dr Ng said that the guidelines would include proposed requirements for horse and horse keeper.

"I think a horse to be allowed on the beach should not be too big. It should not be the size of a race horse," she added.

RECOMMENDED SOLUTION: Yes no race horses..use donkeys..there is plentiful in the BN stable, as evidenced by all the hee-haws featured in this posting.

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On the plan by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 to hold a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on July 9, Hishammuddin said the move could undermine security as those opposed to the action could also demonstrate to show their displeasure, thus possibly sparking clashes.

This would disrupt the daily activities of the people as they would be unable to do business, go to work or send their children to school, he added.

LIMBO ROCKER COMMENT: How low can you go? Dang, you real dunggu, no? Yes lah! The peaceful walk (demonstration????) is on Saturday; offices are closed; send what children to school at 2pm on a Saturday? WHO usually spark clashes since 2007. Remember this:

This article by Bernama and it relates to what Vice President Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi has said. Basically,there are some HOME TRUTHS. From what we gathered there are too many who are looking at numbers and how much HITS they can get instead of getting to the real issues of ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENEMY

Technically no doubt mosts of them are gifted but when it comes to the real issues at hand they are not looking through the eys of the politicians nor the public at large. On a number of occasions they drifted so far away from what counts as turning support into votes and many political secretaries/boys have to take the time and effort to guide them through and get them back on track.

MOSTS BLOGGERS ARE TOO EGOCENTRIC.

Some think their articles or spins are worth so much that they are have become mercenaries. They have veared from their original focus point to assist the political parties of their choice and instead have become liabilities to their political masters. Discipline and following the rules are no more in their vocalbury.

Of course,Zahid will not want to go into the details and if he does he will be in for a rough ride and will not know how and WHAT HIT him. The number of unlisted and independant bloggers have surged eversince 308. Pakatan took it to BN then and now BN is fighting back to capture cyberspace but at a very heavy costs.

The UMB of the political parties are not only fighting Pakatan but also the enemy from within.

Their ears are like satellite links and their eyes are watching and connecting to your heartbeat. Ask any UMB BN blogger and they will have the same story to tell you. There will hold back and have reservations no doubt as they are so afraid to be cut off from the main team.

There is no HOLE where they cannot reach and they will try whatever to get their article to be so far fetched or believable to earn respect from their peers in the cyber world.

MOST HAVE LOST THEIR TOUCH POINTS.

Read below and let your brains dissect it to FIT who you are and where it will TAKE YOU.Oooh I say some cant even understand English..Soon they will misquote this article and time to bash,bash and bash.

After being the Minister in charge of Information Technology for the last seven years, Yee now revealed that Sabah has very low broadband penetration and he blamed the Federal Ministry for neglecting the development of the communication and information technology in the State.

Simon Chin said in a statement issued today after Yee Moh Chai complained that YB Datuk Dr Rais Yatin, the Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, did not take action to solve the Broadband coverage issues in Sabah.

Simon stated that Yee is seeking an early excuse for failing to deliver his duty as Sabah State Minister for ICT.At the last State assembly sitting, Yee had proudly stated his confidence in achieving 30%broadband penetration for the state by this year end.

Simon further stated that Datuk Dr Yee had got all his priority wrong in handling the State ICT development. Any other country would develop the infrastructure or broadband connectivity first before launching any other ICT programme.Instead Dr Yee spent multi Million ringgits every year in teaching people on how to operate a computer!

Simon also remind Datuk Dr Yee that Sabah was the pioneer State in Malaysia to launch the E-government 10 years ago, but it seem today, our state E-government application is not much different from when it was initially! launche d.

Jason Fried has a radical theory of working: that the office isn't a good place to do it. At TEDxMidwest, he lays out the main problems (call them the M&Ms) and offers three suggestions to make work work.

UMNO/BN Complex is still wasting publics money if the report by Malaysiakini: Rais blew half years budget in 1 day is true:

Artiste Day: 'Rais blew half year's budget in 1 day'

Jun 12, 11 3:30pm

10 friends can read this story for free

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has slammed minister Rais Yatim for splurging RM100 million, or half the annual budget for creative projects, on a poorly attended one-day arts event that local artists reportedly dubbed an "instant noodle project". Lim said a fraction of that amount, or RM2 million, would have gone a long way in funding the internationally-rated month-long George Town Heritage Festival in Penang. Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim (right) must explain the rationale of wasting RM100 million for the 2011 Artistes Day on May 29 that received a lukewarm response from art activists. DAP is shocked by a Bernama reportthat RM100 million was allocated for the event that was criticised by art activists, said Lim in a statement today. According to Bernama, Najib had in his 2011 budget speech allocated RM200 million for purchase of creative products, such as high-quality locally-produced films, dramas and documentaries. Lim (left) asked if the Bernama report was accurate in citing the massive amount spent on the allegedly mediocre ! event. DAP suspects that the Bernama report is false and Rais should explain the actual amount spent. It is difficult to believe that the government can be so reckless as to allocate RM100 million for the 2011 Artistes Day event when 27 million ordinary Malaysians are hurting from rising prices caused by BN's subsidy cuts, said Lim. 'Hey big spender...'If Rais Yatim is sincere about promoting arts, then he need only allocate RM2 million not for a one-day event like Artistes Day but a month-long event in the George Town Heritage Fest beginning in July by international and local artists, the DAP secretary-general and Bagan MP continued. After all, he said, the event was significant internationally and was held to commemorate the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site status that was granted on July 7, 2008. Artiste Day was initiated in 2005 and set on May 25 in memory of local film legend P Ramlee. Arts activists reportedly snubbed the event as an "instant noodle project". A perplexed Rais was reported in Star on Jun 1 scratching his head why the country's artistes had not shown support for the event saying they had to step up to steer the arts industry. Star reported the minister advising artists to use up the remainder of the Creative Industry Funds provided under the 2011 Budget by the end of this year.

First, the bad news the global economy may not recover to its glory time anytime soon as the U.S. economy is getting really choppy with stubborn unemployment, not to mention the risk of another round of recession. The good news the global wealth increased by 8% last year to reach a record of $121.8 trillion, at least that was what Boston Consulting Group says. Amazingly, the number of millionaire households grew by 12.2% in 2010, to 12.5 million worldwide. The U.S. still ranks as the country with the most millionaires per capita but lags behind other countries in terms of the proportion of millionaire households by market.

Millionaire households were counted based on assets under management, including cash deposits, money market funds, listed securities held directly or indirectly through managed investments together with onshore and offshore assets. However, it excludes wealth attributed to investors own businesses, residences, and luxury goods.Millionaire households accounted for 39% of global wealth in 2010, up from 37% in 2009 and 36% in 2008. Herere the top 20 countries with the highest proportion of millionaires and youll never guess which top the chart.

No. 20 on the Chart: Canada

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 1.4%

Number of millionaires households: 180,000

No. 19 on the Chart: Australia

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 1.6%

Number of millionaires households: 130,000

No. 18 on the Chart: Denmark

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 1.7%

Number of millionaires households: 40,000

No. 17 on the Chart: Saudi Arabia

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.0%

Number of millionaires households: 90,000

No. 16 on the Chart: Oman

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.1%

Number of millionaires households: 9,000

No. 15 on the Chart: United Kingdom

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.2%

Number of millionaires households: 570,000

No. 14 on the Chart: Netherlands

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.3%

Number of millionaires households: 170,000

No. 13 on the Chart: Ireland

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.3%

Number of millionaires households: 30,000

No. 12 on the Chart: Bahrain

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 2.6%

Number of millionaires households: 6,000

No. 11 on the Chart: Japan

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 3.0%

Number of millionaires households: 1,530,000

No. 10 on the Chart: Belgium

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 3.1%

Number of millionaires households: 140,000

No. 9 on the Chart: Israel

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 3.4%

Number of millionaires households: 80,000

No. 8 on the Chart: Taiwan

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 3.6%

Number of millionaires households: 280,000

No. 7 on the Chart: United States

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 4.5%

Number of millionaires households: 5,220,000

No. 6 on the Chart: United Arab Emirates

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 5.0%

Number of millionaires households: 50,000

No. 5 on the Chart: Kuwait

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 8.5%

Number of millionaires households: 40,000

No. 4 on the Chart: Hong Kong

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 8.6%

Number of millionaires households: 200,000

No. 3 on the Chart: Qatar

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 8.9%

Number of millionaires households: 30,000

No. 2 on the Chart: Switzerland

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 9.9%

Number of millionaires households: 330,000

No.1 on the Chart: Singapore

Millionaire households as a share of countrys total households: 15.5%

Number of millionaires households: 170,000

After declining in 2008, the U.S. millionaire population grew in 2009 and continued to rebound in 2010. Although its economy is crawling, the U.S. still has by far the most millionaire households (more than 5 million) of any country, as well as the largest number of ultra-high-net-worth households (those with more than $100 million in assets under management). Hmm, not bad for a country whose government has debt of a mind-boggling US$14.3 trillion.

Japan has 1.53 million millionaire households, second only to the U.S. Its share of regional wealth has been declining though. Japan accounted for more than half of all wealth in the Asia-Pacific region as recently as 2008 but by 2010, its share accounted for about 44% only. The Uni! ted King dom has 570,000 millionaire households, the fourth-highest number, after the U.S., Japan and China. However, as a share of total households in the country, at 2.2%, the U.K. ranks 15th.

Qatar is the worlds fastest-growing economy, as well as one of the richest. Its annual GDP growth is estimated at 19.4% in 2010, with per capita GDP at $145,300. The country has the worlds third-largest reserves of natural gas, with oil and gas accounting for more than half of GDP, 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues.

With nearly one in 10 households in Switzerland a millionaire household, the country is one of the worlds most expensive. Hence, being a Swiss you shouldnt complain of paying about 20% more for services & accommodation and 45% more for food as compared to other Western European cities. At least I wont mind. And guess which country has the highest concentration of millionaire households?

Its none other than Singapore. Thats right Singapore, the country that its northern neighbour, Malaysia, always ridicule for being just a tiny dot and not even considered a country is home to the worlds greatest concentration of millionaire households. Deloitte expects that by 2015, Singapore may surpass Switzerland in per capita wealth among millionaire households. Already, Singapore is Asias eighth-most-expensive location.